Locked in a Box
by Betterbuddy
Summary: During Ziva's absence between S6/S7, some of Team-Gibbs went through relationship maturity. While DiNozzo and McGee are imprisoned, they have a heart-to-heart discussion, which Gibbs overhears. This is an untold case that improved their relationship.
1. Chapter 1

**LOCKED IN A BOX**

**SquadRoom**

"You are really pushing it, DiNozzo." McGee yelled as the two got off of the elevator.

"Come on, Probie, this was a desperate situation." DiNozzo shot back.

"Desperate?" McGee complained. "In what way was this desperate? And, now you owe me $200."

"I will pay you back this Friday. I promise." DiNozzo said unconvincingly.

"Sure, you will." McGee said sarcastically. "Why are you so broke, anyway?"

"I am on date number three, with the lovely Erica. She was a former model." DiNozzo bragged. "She has really expensive taste, when it comes to restaurants. I will pay you back, Probie."

"Yeah." McGee said sitting down at his desk, treating DiNozzo with a disapproving sideway glance.

"Morning Boss." McGee looked up grateful to see him.

"Morning McGee." Gibbs said looking at him suspiciously. He then stopped and turned to look to DiNozzo.

"Morning Boss." DiNozzo said, noticing the unusual glare he was getting from McGee.

"Morning." Gibbs said. He finally turned and went to his desk.

"Tony, do you know what happened to my. . .?" McGee asked looking around his desk suspiciously.

"I just got here, at the same time as you did. How could I have possibly taken anything from you yet?" DiNozzo shot back.

"My package of Nutter Butters is missing." McGee whined.

"And, you automatically assume that I took them." DiNozzo shot back.

"It wouldn't be the first time that you stole food from me." McGee yelled.

"Well, I didn't take it this time, McMoody." DiNozzo said. McGee scowled at him.

"I did not take it, McMeany." DiNozzo said again. DiNozzo started to get offended with how judgmental McGee was being.

Gibbs looked back and forth from McGee to DiNozzo. Gibbs was ready to start lecturing them both about creating a hostile work environment with all of their bickering, when his cell phone rang.

"All right, Boys." Gibbs said after hanging up. He stood up and walked over to McGee's desk. At first he stood directly in front of McGee and glared at him.

"Boss?" McGee asked in concern. He got nervous when Gibbs slowly walked around his desk to where McGee had thrown his jacket. He lifted up his jacket to reveal the missing Nutter Butters.

"Oh, well thank you . . .Boss." McGee said, slightly embarrassed.

DiNozzo was grateful that the Nutter Butters were found at that McGee would now be off of his case for that; however, the fact that Gibbs intervened made him nervous that a headslap or lecture was in his future.

"Gear up." Gibbs said.

DiNozzo and McGee responded by grabbing their gear and following Gibbs to the elevator.

"What do we have, Boss?" DiNozzo asked.

"Remains were found in Quantico." Gibbs said.

"And, they called us? How do they know. . .?" DiNozzo asked.

"There was a Marine uniform found on the remains with a note attached saying to contact NCIS." Gibbs answered.

"Oh." DiNozzo said quietly, sensing that Gibbs was irate with him.

**Drive to Quantico**

McGee turned himself around to give a quick look at DiNozzo in the backseat.

"DiNozzo, who keeps texting you?" McGee finally asked, hearing DiNozzo buzzing again.

"Oh. . ." DiNozzo laughed, embarrassed by the question. "Ugh, yeah that is."

"Who is texting you, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked. DiNozzo saw that Gibbs was watching him closely now through the rear view mirror.

"It is Erica, isn't it?" McGee asked, shaking his head in irritation.

"Yeah." DiNozzo finally answered softly.

"This better be the last of it, DiNozzo." Gibbs said.

"Ending the texting now, Boss." DiNozzo said.

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**A/N: I want to thank you so much for your feedback, for the story alerts, and for reading this fanfiction.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Crime Scene**

"Well, there sure isn't much to do here." DiNozzo said, putting away his camera. He looked at the rest of the team processing the scene under the large tree, where the remains were found in front of an office building.

"I am just about done here too, Jethro." Ducky said. Gibbs approached with the Metro police officer.

"The man that found the remains. . ." Gibbs started to say, looking to both DiNozzo and McGee. ". . .he works on the third floor in the tech-department. I want you two to get a statement."

"On it Boss." McGee said. DiNozzo turned and followed McGee into the building. They headed toward the elevator.

DiNozzo and McGee got into the elevator. McGee heard DiNozzo's cellphone buzzing again.

"Ugh." McGee said, when he heard the sound.

"I won't look at it." DiNozzo said, after hearing McGee's groan.

"How much longer will this go on, Tony?" McGee asked.

"How much longer –_what_?" DiNozzo asked. "I need more detailed question, McNosey. How much longer will she text me today? Or, how much longer will we be dating?"

"Both!" McGee shot back at him, as the elevator doors opened on the third floor.

"I don't know." DiNozzo answered. McGee shook his head.

"Are you jealous, ProbieOne?" DiNozzo asked.

"Jealous? No! Try –annoyed- with how much your date is costing me. I can't believe how much she is texting you, when I know that you will just break up when you hit the fifth date." McGee said.

"You never know McGee. This could be _LOVE_." DiNozzo said. McGee rolled his eyes at him.

**Witness' Office**

They approached a desk, as they left the elevator. There was a man sitting at a computer desk. That was the only activity they found on the third floor. This appeared to be the only person that worked on this floor.

"NCIS, Agents DiNozzo and McGee, we understand that you found the remains and called it in this morning." DiNozzo said as they approached the desk.

"Yes." The man said standing up from the computer desk. He was a tall, skinny, man.

DiNozzo and McGee quickly noticed how agitated the man appeared. He was very jittery and his pupils appeared to be dilated. They watched him suspiciously as he told his story.

"What time did you say you found the remains again?" McGee asked.

"It was. . .it was 4 this morning." He said.

"4 am?" DiNozzo questioned. "A minute ago, you said it was light outside already. Well, the sun does not rise that early."

"Yeah. . .I guess . . .I was wrong. It was closer to 5:30 am. . .Sorry." He said trying to repair his statement.

"Hey. . .hey can I show you both something?" He asked. DiNozzo and McGee followed the man over to a large storage closet. He turned the light on before asking them to follow him.

"What is this about? What are you planning to show us?" DiNozzo asked, not moving any further.

"I just want you to see something." He said.

DiNozzo and McGee stood still just watching the strange, skinny, agitated man. The man reached into the closet again, pulling out a gun. He quickly pointed it at both of them. DiNozzo and McGee both had their hands on their weapons and began to pull them out of their holsters, when the man fired a single shot between them.

"Drop your guns onto the floor." The man said. "Take out your cellphones and put those on the floor as well."

DiNozzo and McGee reluctantly obeyed and dropped their guns and cellphones on the floor.

"Now, get into this storage closet." The man ordered.

When neither of them moved, the man once again fired his weapon near them. DiNozzo and McGee entered the storage closet and helplessly watched the man close the door, locking them inside.

They looked around the closet for another way out or anything else that would be useful in getting them out.

"Nothing." DiNozzo said.

"No. No electronic equipment of any kind. How will we tell Gibbs?" McGee asked.

"Somehow, I think he'll figure it out that we are missing." DiNozzo answered.

"Do you think he wants to kill us or hold us for ransom?" McGee asked. DiNozzo shook his head unable to answer the question.

They continued to check out the room. DiNozzo tried to unsuccessfully shove his knife through the door crack, but the door was made of metal and had very little gaps on the sides. They could hear faint talking in the background.

"I think he is talking to Gibbs on the phone right now." McGee suggested. DiNozzo agreed.

**Crime Scene—A few moments earlier**

"Where are those two?" Gibbs finally said with a groan, looking to Ducky.

"Though, I don't miss the arguing. . ." Gibbs said.

Gibbs heard a faint laugh from Ducky as they watched Palmer secure the remains in the truck.

"It has been a long time, Gibbs." Ducky finally added, expressing his concern as well.

"We might have another crime scene on our hands, Duck. One of them might have killed the other one." Gibbs said, pulling out his cell phone.

"Hey, DiNozzo, what is the hold up?" Gibbs snarled.

Gibbs' demeanor suddenly changed when an unfamiliar voice answered him from DiNozzo's cell phone.

"I have your agents." The voice said. As quickly as Gibbs heard that comment, he hit the speaker button on his phone, so that Ducky could hear this too.

"They won't be harmed as long as you comply with one request." The man said.

"We don't negotiate." Gibbs said. Ducky looked at Gibbs questioningly.

"I will kill one of them, then." He said.

"Who are you?" Gibbs asked.

"I'll ask the questions." He said.

"The remains outside. . ." He emphasized. "NCIS investigated this murder six months ago. You arrested the wrong man. He is not the killer."

"All right, we can reopen an investigation." Gibbs said. "Why don't you let my agents go, and we will get started."

"No. They are staying where they are until you are done investigating." He said.

"There is a chance that . . .the man we arrested really was the killer though." Gibbs said.

"He isn't the killer." The man insisted.

"Do I understand this correctly? Did you really exhume the remains, so that NCIS would reopen this investigation?" Ducky asked with pure disgust. The man hung up the phone before answering Ducky's question.

"I guess I have some work to do." Gibbs said.

"You cannot honestly investigate this by _yourself_." Ducky said. Gibbs smiled.

"As soon as you get a name, Duck. . ." Gibbs said approaching the Metro detective again. Ducky quickly hurried to get into the truck, knowing that he needed to identify the remains as quickly as possible.

"The witness said his name was, Chris Dunlap, Agent Gibbs." The Metro detective told Gibbs. "He said that he worked here on the third floor, but I never verified that. I called NCIS instead, after I read the note."

"Thank you, Detective." Gibbs said quickly, turning toward the building.

He found the employee directory on the wall, when he entered the building. Gibbs ran his finger down the directory where it gave a name for the third floor as Steven Dunlap. Gibbs looked at the name suspiciously. He picked up his cellphone and dialed Ducky's cellphone number.

"Gibbs. I will make this a top priority; however, I am not that quick. I am sorry. I know what is at stake here." Ducky said.

"Duck, do you remember our investigation into a Marine's death six months back by the name of _Chris Dunlap._" Gibbs said.

"Yes, I do now." Ducky said.

"The witness told the Metro detective that _he_ was Chris Dunlap. However, according to the directory here, he is really Steven Dunlap." Gibbs said.

"So you already know who the remains belong to then?" Ducky said.

"And, I know who the real killer is." Gibbs said.

"Who?" Ducky asked.

"It is Steven Dunlap. The man is holding DiNozzo and McGee hostage and wants me to prove that he is the real killer." Gibbs said.

"Oh my." Ducky said. "How do you know that?"

"We suspected him too." Gibbs said. "However, the man we arrested, Ted Knight, had means, motive, and opportunity. He was jealous because he caught Dunlap sleeping with his wife."

"What do you plan to do, Gibbs?" Ducky asked.

"I am going up there." Gibbs said.

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**A/N: I want to thank you so much for your feedback, for the story alerts, and for reading this fanfiction.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Storage Closet**

"Oh Probie, stop pacing. . .you are making me sea sick." DiNozzo said jokingly.

"How could I be making you sea sick?" McGee said angrily.

"I feel like you are rocking the room back and forth." DiNozzo said.

"I know what is really making you sick. The fact that you are stuck working and unable to text Erica right now." McGee said.

"Yes, Probie, that is what is making me sick." DiNozzo said slouching down further against the wall. The room got quiet.

"You know what makes me sick, DiNozzo!" McGee started to yell. DiNozzo swallowed hard as McGee prepared to rant.

"No, but you sure are already on a role today, so why don't you spit that out too." DiNozzo said looking down to the ground. DiNozzo slid down to the floor now, as McGee stood over him ready to start lecturing him.

"I am sick of being called Probie!" McGee yelled. DiNozzo looked up at him and nodded.

"Okay, Tim." DiNozzo quickly said.

"And, I. . ." McGee hesitated a moment in realization that DiNozzo had already agreed to stop calling him "Probie."

". . .don't like it when you steal food from me. I don't like it when you pour super glue on my keyboard and desk. I don't like being the butt of all of your jokes, DiNozzo! I am sick of your jokes."

"Okay, Tim." DiNozzo said quickly again still looking up at him.

"You are Probie-no more. I will take all my tubes of super glue home. I will bring you a brand new package of Nutter Butters tomorrow, and I will stop stealing from you."

"You don't have to bring me Nutter Butters." McGee said. "I was wrong. You didn't take mine this morning."

"I will still bring you Nutter Butters." DiNozzo said. McGee sat down on the floor next to him.

"What is your angle, Tony?" McGee asked. DiNozzo looked over at him and shook his head without answering.

"Tony?" McGee asked in confusion. DiNozzo got up and walked away from him.

"There has to be some way to get out of here. Maybe we can try the ceiling or something." DiNozzo said.

DiNozzo turned quickly around and bumped into McGee.

"Ugh, sorry about that, P. . .McGee." DiNozzo said.

"What's the matter?" McGee asked watching him.

"Well, we are trapped in a closet. We are being held here against are will. We don't know if Gibbs knows. There is an armed, mad man outside with our guns and cellphones." DiNozzo said in monotone trying not to sound sarcastic.

"Yeah, I know that part." McGee said, grabbing his arm as DiNozzo headed in the opposite direction.

"What?" McGee asked again. DiNozzo shook his head.

"Were you surprised that those things bothered me?" McGee snapped, knowing that was not the problem but wanting DiNozzo to start talking again. ". . .the being called Probie, the teasing, and your pranks bother me."

"You aren't claustrophobic are you?" McGee finally asked, when it got quiet. DiNozzo now started to pace. He looked desperate to find a way out of there.

"Tony. . .stop. Stop!" McGee yelled. "I was too harsh and too direct. I am sorry."

DiNozzo shook his head.

"No you weren't." DiNozzo said. "You were firm. You stood your ground. You have had enough, so I'll stop."

"It's your turn now." McGee said.

"My turn?" DiNozzo asked turning to face McGee.

"You tell me what I do that frustrates you." McGee said.

"You don't irritate me. There is nothing that could be changed. You are perfect." DiNozzo said.

"Tony? I am far from perfect." McGee said trying to figure out DiNozzo's angle again.

"You are perfect, Tim. You are smart and very capable. You are a great agent and a very caring person. You are a tech-genius. You have so much professional potential to go into any direction you would want. . .potential team leader or Cyber Crimes division. If you weren't so dedicated to your job, I think you would be married to a bright, beautiful woman by now."

"Come on, Tony. What is your angle here? I am waiting for the punch line." McGee said.

"You don't want me to make jokes about you anymore, so. . ." DiNozzo said. "What else is there to say? _You_ are perfect. I tease you about your good qualities already, Tim. You don't have any bad ones, so there is nothing left to say."

"Tony?" McGee said again. "Come on, I have to irritate you in some ways."

"No, I am proud to know you. I have never known anyone with such honorable qualities before." DiNozzo said walking away.

"Tony?" McGee said following him. He grabbed his arm again and pulled him around to face him. Looking at him closely, McGee could see that DiNozzo was being straight and sincere.

"You are serious." McGee said. "I. . .I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." DiNozzo said.

"Are you okay?" McGee asked again. DiNozzo quickly shook off his concern.

"Just want to get out of here McGee." DiNozzo said trying to pile up some boxes to try to ram into the door.

"Does this have something to do with Ziva's leaving?" McGee asked.

"I just told you the honest-truth as I see it." DiNozzo said turning to face McGee. "Now let's get out of here. Do you think we could blow up the door somehow? Maybe we could ram the door with these boxes."

"I don't like being teased, Tony. But, it does not mean that I am planning to ask Gibbs for you to be removed from the team like Ziva did." McGee said with a smile.

"Yeah?" DiNozzo said unconvinced.

"Yeah." McGee repeated noticing an unusual reaction from DiNozzo.

"What Tony?" McGee said. DiNozzo waved off the comment again.

"It is nothing." DiNozzo said softly turning and walking to the far end of the storage closet.

"Is that what this is about?" McGee asked.

McGee became irritated with DiNozzo's unpredictable behavior and raw emotions.

"You weren't too happy when I came back after being an agent afloat though." DiNozzo finally admitted. DiNozzo threw up his arms in frustration.

"What, no." McGee said defensively. "That isn't true. I was just kidding. Who told you that I said that, anyway?"

"What is the matter, Tony? Is that what is upsetting you? Ziva is just grieving right now, so she didn't return. Again, I never wanted you to stay an agent afloat." McGee asked in an irritated tone. McGee bolted across the closet and grabbed DiNozzo's arm again whipping him around to face him.

"Let it go, McGee, please." DiNozzo said.

"This isn't going to work." DiNozzo said looking at the boxes that he piled up.

DiNozzo looked him closely in the eyes. He then looked him over again before sliding down to the floor again. McGee sighed and slid next to him.

"I didn't mean it, Tony." McGee said. "Did Gibbs tell you that I joked about that?"

"Look, I know I snapped at you several times-unjustly—just after Shepard died. And, I am sorry." DiNozzo said. "I also know how I treat you on a daily basis. It is almost abusive."

"Come on Tony. . ." McGee emphasized. ". . .hey, I never wanted you to have to stay an agent afloat."

"I'll stop teasing you, McGee." DiNozzo said.

"Tony, I didn't mean to come down on you so hard, but you do really push my patience at times." McGee said. "I don't want you to change your personality."

"Why do you even care what I think?" McGee asked.

"Of course I care what you think. I always value your judgment." DiNozzo said.

"What? Since when?" McGee said.

"I always have." DiNozzo said. "This is nothing new."

"Stop it, Tony." McGee said.

"This is me not joking so much." DiNozzo said. "It is okay, McGee. I understand. I have an effect on people. You don't have to explain anything to me. My own father wanted nothing to do with me when I was growing up. Neither did my mother."

"She died when you were a kid, Tony. She didn't leave you." McGee said. "And, your father was a single parent. He was just overwhelmed. It wasn't you."

"Thanks Tim, that is sweet for you to say that." DiNozzo said trying to end the conversation. "We have to get out of here."

DiNozzo tore apart one of the boxes that he had gotten from a shelf in the storage closet and looked for something that could be used to pry the door open. McGee could not stop himself from staring at DiNozzo. His out-of-character behavior was not only concerning him, but it also confused him as to how deeply DiNozzo felt about these issues.

McGee continued to face DiNozzo in the back of the storage closet with the boxes. McGee considered the door behind him. Unfortunately, that metal door was not the only barrier between them and getting out of here. Even if they did manage to get out of the closet, they still had an armed mad man to confront. McGee turned around to eye the door again.

"Boss?" McGee said, when made it completely around.

After hearing McGee's comment, DiNozzo quickly turned to face them both. He was shocked to see the metal door had been opened and that Gibbs was standing there staring at them.

"Boss, how long have you been standing there?" DiNozzo asked stepping closer to them.

DiNozzo and McGee both headed closer to the door to where Gibbs was standing.

"Hey, let's get out of here." Gibbs said softly looking them over carefully.

"Whoa Boss, what happened?"

"The remains belonged to Chris Dunlap. It was a case we had roughly six months ago. We had arrested Ted Knight, but we had suspected Steven Dunlap back then. Steven Dunlap was the killer and was overwhelmed with guilt. He was keeping you two here, until I reopened the case and reexamined the evidence. Abby thinks she found proof now that he was guilty of killing his own brother, and Ted Knight was innocent. When I came up here to arrest him, he surrendered and gave me this key to the storage closet. You two needed to have a talk though, so I didn't interrupt."

"You were listening? Do you mean we could have been out of here sooner, Boss?" DiNozzo asked.

"I heard your promise to McGee, Tony." Gibbs said emphasized.

"McGee, there is nothing wrong with being called Probie. Mike Franks still calls me Probie to this day, and he means no disrespect by calling me that. I have said this to you before. As far as the teasing goes, we could use a little less of that, DiNozzo."

"And, . . ." Gibbs said approaching DiNozzo. He stepped very closely and examined him. "I control who is on this team, DiNozzo, not Ziva. McGee was right. She just needed sometime to grieve and maybe to return to her roots. This was _not_ your fault."

After hearing the trouble McGee was having earlier getting through to DiNozzo, Gibbs made sure that DiNozzo processed his comments.

"Are you hearing me, Tony? Did you hear what McGee just said to you?" Gibbs said forcefully. DiNozzo nodded without making contact with Gibbs."

DiNozzo continued to shake his head, still not looking at Gibbs.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Gibbs said forcefully and in a threatening tone. "Do I need to beat this into you?"

"No, Boss." DiNozzo said softly, looking bashfully away.

"Let's get out of here, then." Gibbs said, keeping his Gibbs' stare on DiNozzo. He finally turned and headed out of the closet. DiNozzo and McGee started to follow.

"I will pay you back, Tim." DiNozzo repeated once again.

"I do believe you, Tony." McGee said with a smile and a nod.

**The End**

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**A/N: I want to thank you so much for your feedback suggestions and for the story alerts. I especially want to thank you for reading this fanfiction.**


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